I had seen in the past the beautiful bracelets that Mon Petit Bazar made with Miyuki beads on a loom and I had been SO reasonable: no matter how pretty, I was not going to be tempted into yet another highly time-consuming leisure!!!

But then my big girl fell in love with the bracelets on display in a shop in our holiday village. So I couldn’t say know when the lovely shopkeeper offered to teach her how to make one – and I couldn’t not watch…

Anyway, three beading looms, multiples bags or Miyuki pearls and many sets of needles later, the all family is completely addicted. And I am amazed at the quality of the children’s makes – in particular my “big” 8 year-old boy‘s, who draws from scratch and looms his own patterns with incredible ease.

Here are a few pictures of their makes – and maybe the next step will be peyote bead weaving, although I am not surethis is so easy for all ages… actually I’m more thinking of  my age here…

Our equipment: a loom (x 3 actually, no comment…), thread, fine beading needles, Miyuki pearls, pliers, finishing bits (done by the shop lady actually…) – we bought everything in out local shop but of course everything is available on the internet, which I promise I will explore when we are back from our summer holiday.

Our patterns: the kids drew their own on grid paper with colored pencils. We worked with a width of 3 or 5 pearls and a lenght of 81 ranks for children between 6 and 8 – for an adult you may need and few more.

Our makes: I am hiding the only failure (mine), the children’s makes are so much nicer! The first names’s idea is theirs, many presents for their friends will be made I’m sure!

• Hacking the Albertine Pattern into a Summer Dress
• My little shirred dresses… or my new summer addiction!